Class: Co-owner of a Lonely Heart CSP

Language and close-textual analysis

1) Write an NCIS analysis for the episode - using notes from the screening in class. Make specific, detailed reference to moments in the text using media terminology (e.g. media language - camera shots and movement, diegetic/non-diegetic sound, mise-en-scene etc.)


Narrative: The show has a multi strand narrative. One of the narratives are the accumulation of flower petals: a seemingly innocent, even attractive, object can hold danger and threats. when matteus touches the petal, his finger starts bleeding. This threat is further highlighted when we see the petals are rapidly multiplying and they seem to be feeding on a dead squirrel. Another strand is the new headteacher: she seems strange (potential alien) as she already knows the students names and Miss Quill's/Charlie's living arrangements. She is also aware of the danger the flower petals pose and is ready to team up with Miss Quill to deal with them; clearly she is not a naive human. Another narrative strand is April's story. Not only is she dealing with the unwanted return of her father, who was imprisoned and responsible for her mother being in a wheelchair, she also has to fight off Corakinus who is attempting to take full control of April's heart (they both share the same heart) and she discovers she can use some of his powers as king of the shadow realm. The end of the episode sees April open a tear in time and space and she goes into the realm accompanied by Ram, trying to track down the shadow king.

Character: This episode follows the six main characters : Charlie, April, Ram, Tanya, Miss Quill and Corakinus. Corakinus is the villain, king of the shadow realm and his goal is to take control of April's heart. April is the protagonist and she's trying to save the world by killing Corakinus which she decides to do in the remaining few minutes of the episode. Charlie was the prince of his old planet which was invaded by shadowkin. The souls of his people are in a box and Charlie is torn between bringing back his people and protecting humanity.

Iconography:

Setting:
The show takes place in Coal Hill Academy (also the setting of An Unearthly Child). In this episode it switches between the human world and the shadow realm, which contains fires and a lot of darkness, adding to the theme of danger and suspense/mystery.

2) How does Todorov's theory of equilibrium apply to Co-owner of a Lonely Heart? Try and use the expanded version of Todorov's theory: 
Equilibrium - Previously clip, establishes the storyline. Disruption - April confronts her Dad. Recognition - April's powers are revealed Reparation - April heals her mother New equilibrium - April tears a rip in time; goes after Corakinus.

3) Applying Propp's character theory, what character roles do each of the main characters in Class fit into? Alternatively, you may wish to discuss how characters do not fit Propp's character types.
Hero- Charlie, wants to protect his people and save April
Villain- Corakinus, wants to take over the world, destroyed Charlie's planet
Princess- April, Corakinus wants to kill her, Ram and Charlie want to protect her.
Donor- Miss Quill, Helps the teacher fight the alien flowers, has a mission to protect Charlie
False Hero- Ram, Jumps in to tear after April but April is in control.
Helper- Tanya, Gives Ram help.

4) What enigma and action codes (Barthes) can you find in Co-owner of a Lonely Heart? Make specific, detailed reference to the text using media terminology (e.g. media language - camera shots, diegetic/non-diegetic sound, mise-en-scene etc.)
Blossoms multiplying-Family conflict-Mother being cured
What will Charlie do with the box? Will Miss Quill be fired5) What examples of binary opposition (Levi-Strauss) can you find in Co-owner of a Lonely Heart? How do these create narrative or drama for the audience?
Light vs Dark (shadowkin world and earth)
Humans vs aliens (Charlie and other students)
Good vs evil (Corakinus and April)
Representations

1) How is gender represented in Class - Co-owner of a Lonely Heart? Are gender stereotypes reinforced or subverted?
Gender stereotypes are subverted as April chooses to be confident and lead the others despite having limited knowledge of aliens. Miss Quill is an independent teacher and manages to be intimidating and in control. She doesn't have the conventional female empathy.

2) How is age (e.g. teenagers; older people like teachers or parents) represented in Class - Co-owner of a Lonely Heart? Does the show reinforce or challenge stereotypes about young people?
It challenges stereotypes about age as the teenagers are the saviours and responsible for the protection of the world and the adults are more clueless, vulnerable and need saving by the teenagers.3) How is race and ethnicity represented in Class - Co-owner of a Lonely Heart? Are  stereotypes reinforced or subverted?
Class is more diverse as there is a range of races and although the protagonist is white, it is still more diverse than older Doctor Who episodes. 4) How is sexuality represented in Class - Co-owner of a Lonely Heart? How does this reflect the BBC's remit to represent modern Britain?
Charlie, the alien prince, is a gay person but as he is an alien, he has no social ideas or preconceptions about homo and heterosexuality so the show doesn't address his sexuality. This is effective as it portrays homosexual relationships as normal and there are no issues.

5) How is disability represented in Class - Co-owner of a Lonely Heart? Why are disabled people generally under-represented in the media and how does Class try to address this?
April's mum is in a wheelchair and they showcase how she faces stress and struggles to take care of her mum as her dad isn't around to help. Rather than portraying her mum as weak or submissive, she still has a strong personality and protective of April.

Audience
1) What were the viewing figures for Class and why do you think it did so badly?
It had a viewing of 0.28 million people. It did badly as it was showed at an awkward time (10:45pm) and most of it's target audience (young people) wouldn't have been watching TV at that time.2) What audience psychographic groups might particularly enjoy Class?
Younger audiences that are fans of Doctor Who would've enjoyed Class, especially those that are interested in dramas and teenage issues.3) What audience pleasures are offered by Class - Co-owner of a Lonely Heart? Apply Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory to the episode. Make sure you provide specific examples from the episode to support your ideas.

Personal Identity: Audiences would've been able to relate to the issues that the teenagers face (school work, friendships, relationship issues)

Diversion (Escapism): It provides a subversive view of schools as schools are only for studying and it's interesting to see aliens at school and other unlikely situations.

5) How did fans in the 'Whoniverse' (also known as 'Whovians') react to Class? Watch the fan reaction video (and read the YouTube comments) on the Class notes blogpost or check the comments in the extension articles below to help with this.
Fans felt it had no real genre and as a result, it was hard to establish an audience as although it was set in a high school and had teenage protagonists, it had adult themes.

Industries
1) What was the objective of BBC3 when it was launched?
The objective was to provide high quality programmes to younger audiences (16-34).
2) Why did BBC3 go online-only in February 2013? 
Due to budget cuts, it was converted to online. Additionally, more people were watching media online and television audiences were decreasing.
3) How does Class - Co-owner of a Lonely Heart meet the BBC's mission statement to 'inform, educate and entertain'?
Class provides entertainment as it has an unlikely storyline that can appeal to many different audiences.
4) How did the distribution of Class contribute to the failure of the show with audiences?
It was shown on the "graveyard slot" so it had a very small audience. As less people were able to see it, it was very unpopular.
5) What advertising and marketing was used to try and promote Class to an audience? Why do you think this wasn't very successful?
It was promoted and marketed as part of the Doctor Who franchise so the marketing was directed at Doctor Who fans. It wasn't successful as many of the older DW fans would not have been interested in the teenage issues and themes.
Comparison: An Unearthly Child and Co-owner of a Lonely Heart

1) How are the technical conventions different between 1963 Doctor Who and 2016 Class (e.g. camerawork, editing, sound and mise-en-scene)?
Class is a lot more modern and therefore more technologically advanced. Doctor Who had poor camera quality and was in black and white whereas Class was filmed in colour and had a higher quality.
2) What similarities and differences are there between An Unearthly Child and Co-owner of a Lonely Heart in terms of the science-fiction genre?
They both have an alien protagonist but in Doctor Who, the humans had little significance to  the plotline. In Class, the humans played a pivotal role in "saving the world".3) What similarities and differences are there between An Unearthly Child and Co-owner of a Lonely Heart in terms of how they meet the BBC's remit to inform, educate and entertain?
They are both quite similar in the sense that they provide little information and are mainly used for entertainment due to their fantasy themes.4) How are representations of people, places and groups similar or different in the two shows?
In Doctor Who, there is very little representation as the characters are all white and middle/upper class. In Class, there is a variety of races and ages, potentially due to the modernisation of England.
5) What similarities and differences can you find in terms of the audience pleasures for An Unearthly Child and Co-owner of a Lonely Heart?
Both shows provide diversion, entertainment and personal relationships through engaging storylines and character issues and struggles.

Doctor Who:An Unearthly Child CSP

1) Write an NCIS analysis for the episode - using notes from the screening in class. Make specific, detailed reference to moments in the text using media terminology (e.g. media language - camera shots, diegetic/non-diegetic sound, mise-en-scene etc.)

An Unearthly Child

Narrative:

Starts in a conventional school setting. Ian and Barbara are discussing a ‘strange’ student: Susan. They can’t figure out where she lives so they follow her on her way home. They come to a junkyard and meet the doctor. He’s very stubborn and won’t allow them into the police box although the teachers can hear her voice. They enter anyway and the doctor refuses to let them stay on earth, taking them to the stone age after much arguing and pleading from Susan. The episode ends on a cliffhanger as a strange figure appears in the bottom corner of the screen.

Character:

Susan-subverts the stereotype of girls in the 1960’s as submissive and weak:heroine  

Doctor-potential false hero, no sympathy, stereotypical “grumpy old man”

Barbara-Conventional fearful woman, caring, scared and confused

Ian- Stubborn, Annoyed, Very logical and doesn’t panic                                                           

Iconography:

The TARDIS has very bright white lights, smoke and alarms.

Title sequence has very strong science connotations due to the unusual music and editing

The TARDIS also makes an appearance in the opening scene, drawing our attention to it.

Setting:

Set in a conventional school. Moves to a junkyard with connotations of danger and mystery. Moves to the inside of the TARDIS which is very heavily influenced by the science fiction genre. Ends in a mysterious desert with a strange figure appearing. 

2) How does Todorov's theory of equilibrium apply to An Unearthly Child? Try and use the expanded version of Todorov's theory: Equilibrium - Disruption - Recognition - Reparation - New equilibrium.

Equilibrium: Ian and Barbara are discussing Susan and the mystery surrounding her address.

Disruption: They decide to follow her home and arrive at a junkyard

Recognition: They meet the doctor and he’s acting very suspicious about Susan’s whereabouts

Reparation: They barge into the TARDIS and find Susan who begins talking of time travel and other dimensions.

New equilibrium: The Doctor takes them all away in the TARDIS to a new time.

3) Applying Propp's character theory, what character roles do each of the main characters in An Unearthly Child fit into? Alternatively, you may wish to discuss how characters do not fit Propp's character types.

Susan: fits into the role of heroine as she tries to save her teachers from the doctor. Ian fits the role of hero as he tries attempting to save Susan; he also fits the role of princess as he requires help. Barbara fits the role of princess as she is very confused, scared and in danger. The doctor seems to be the villain as he has a very mean attitude and he kidnaps the teachers.

4) What enigma and action codes (Barthes) can you find in An Unearthly Child? Make specific, detailed reference to the text using media terminology (e.g. media language - camera shots, diegetic/non-diegetic sound, mise-en-scene etc.)

Inside the TARDIS, there is a subtle humming to suggest machines are working, it isn't a regular police box.

5) What examples of binary opposition (Levi-Strauss) can you find in An Unearthly Child? How do these create narrative or drama for the audience?

Light vs Dark (TARDIS vs Junkyard)

Old vs Young (Susan vs Doctor)

Hero vs Villain (Ian vs Doctor)

Representations

     1) What stereotypes of men are reinforced and subverted in Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child? How?

Stereotypes of men are reinforced as both men are shown to have a certain level of control and they have rigid demeanours: very little emotion.

      2) What stereotypes of women/girls are reinforced and subverted in Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child? How?

Stereotypes of women are reinforced as they both appear quite frantic and worried about the situation. However, the stereotype is subverted as Susan seems quite intelligent and ready to save her teachers.

      3) What are common media stereotypes of young people and old people? Do any of the characters or scenarios reinforce or subvert these conventional stereotypes (consider this was 1963)? Has this changed in more recent series of Doctor Who?

The stereotype of young people are that they are quite careless and lazy-Susan subverts this as she is portrayed as a studious young girl who’s responsible and enjoys going to school. The stereotype of old people is that they can be grumpy and not tolerant. This is reinforced as the doctor has a very bitter and miserable persona.

      4)What representations of race/ethnicity can be found in Doctor Who: An Earthly Child? Is this surprising or not? Give reasons for your answer and consider historical / cultural context (the 1960's). Has this changed in more recent series of Doctor Who?

There is no racial or ethnic representation in Doctor Who as during the 1960’s, Britain wasn’t racially diverse and there were practically no BAME actors on television. 

      5) How is social class represented in An Unearthly Child? Think about how education and knowledge is presented in the episode.

We presume they are middle class as the two teachers seems knowledgeable and well educated. Barbara, as well, seems very well educated as she is very intelligent. They also speak in a ‘posh’ manner with clear pronunciation and no slang (dismisses the idea of lower classes-too professional)

Audience

      1) Who is the target audience for Doctor Who? Has it changed since 1963?

It has changed a lot as in 1963, the demographic would’ve been a lot larger(whole families) due to limited channels however it may have only been targeted at males due to the old stereotype of science appealing more to males. The target audience for Doctor Who is generally from 20’s-45’s and an even mix between males and females. The recent reboot of Doctor Who has helped the show gain a new, younger audience. 

      2) What audience psychographic groups might particularly enjoy Doctor Who?

Mainstream groups would enjoy Doctor Who as it appeals to a large number of people and is well established in modern day pop culture.

Industries

      1) What was the television industry like in 1963? How many channels were there?

There was only three channels: BBC 1, BBC 2, ITV meaning there was less competition and larger audiences.

      2) Why is Doctor Who such an important franchise for the BBC?

It’s important as it’s the longest running science fiction show and shown in several other countries, bringing in a huge amount of revenue for the BBC.

      3)How does Doctor Who meet the BBC's mission statement to 'inform, educate and entertain'?

It has a lot of science information and provides action, drama and suspense for audiences.

      4) How is the BBC funded?

The BBC is funded through TV licenses and shows no adverts.

      5) Who regulates the BBC and what is the watershed?

The BBC is regulated by OfCOM  (OfCOM oversees all media channels and produces a code of conduct that all media channels must follow or have their licence to make content removed and/or be fined heavily)  and the watershed is at 9 pm and it states shows of a high rating are only to be shown after 9 pm.

Grade 8/9 extension tasks and reading

Read this Media Magazine article tracing the cultural impact of Doctor Who. What does it suggest regarding the importance of Doctor Who, representations and industry?
It suggests that Doctor Who is clearly attempting to show the multicultural diversity of London and the show explores not only the cultural divide but the class divide. The multiracial backgrounds of teh different characters allow the show to expose the range of race, culture and class in BritainRead this Guardian feature on female characters in Doctor Who. What does it suggest regarding the representation of women over time in Doctor Who?
Although the women played pivotal roles, historically in Doctor Who, they have often been roles that have revolved around a male lead. Despite this, in earlier seasons, there was never any sort of romantic relationship.Read this New Statesman feature on Doctor Who as a global phenomenon. What does it suggest about Doctor Who fandom, British identity and the importance of the brand to the BBC?
The Doctor Who fandom is incredibly committed, making costumes etc... Moreover, Doctor is recognised as a British cultural institution and is the biggest global export of the BBC.Read this Guardian feature on the representations of race and ethnicity in Doctor Who over the last 55 years. How has the programme changed in its representations of race and how does this fit the BBC's remit to inform, educate and entertain? 

The show has made a conscious effort to include different races and has chosen to portray different racial and cultural events such as the 1947 partition and the Rosa Parks incident (informing the viewer) and provides entertainment through the dramatic science fiction scenes.